Electronic device including flexible display

ABSTRACT

An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes a flexible display including a first area disposed to be visible to the outside and a second area extending from the first area and disposed to be accommodated inside the electronic device in a first state and to be at least partially visible to the outside in a second state, a bendable member disposed on the rear surface of the flexible display and configured to support the flexible display in the first state and the second state, a case configured to support at least a portion of the flexible display, a sliding frame slidably coupled to the case and including a slide plate having a plurality of first guide slits formed therein and a sliding bar extending from the slide plate and coming into contact with the bendable member in the second state, and a plurality of driving bodies configured to enable sliding movement of the flexible display while switching from the first state to the second state.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is a continuation application, claiming priority under§365(c), of an International application No. PCT/PCT/KR2021/016434,filed on Nov. 11, 2021, which is based on and claims the benefit of aKorean patent application number 10-2020-0166601, filed on Dec. 2, 2020,in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and of a Korean patentapplication number 10-2021-0067484, filed on May 26, 2021, in the KoreanIntellectual Property Office, the disclosure of each of which isincorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The disclosure relates to an electronic device including a flexibledisplay.

BACKGROUND ART

Electronic devices are gradually becoming slimmer, and are beingimproved to increase rigidity, strengthen design, and differentiatefunctional elements thereof Electronic devices are being transformedfrom a uniform rectangular shape into a variety of shapes. Electronicdevices may have a deformable structure enabling use of a large-screendisplay while providing convenient portability. For example, as anexample of a deformable structure, an electronic device may have astructure in which the display area of a flexible display can be variedby supporting housings that slide with respect to each other (e.g., arollable structure or a slidable structure). A rollable electronicdevice (or a slidable electronic device) may be configured such that aflexible display can be rolled up or unfolded, and a slidable electronicdevice may be configured such that a flexible display moves in a slidingmanner, thereby expanding and contracting a screen.

The above information is presented as background information only toassist with an understanding of the disclosure. No determination hasbeen made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the abovemight be applicable as prior art with regard to the disclosure.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION Technical Problem

An electronic device may include a rollable electronic device (e.g., aslidable electronic device) in which the display area of a display canbe expanded and/or reduced. The rollable electronic device may include afirst housing (e.g., a first housing structure, a base housing, a basebracket, or a base structure) and a second housing (e.g., a secondhousing, a slide housing, a slide bracket, or a slide structure), whichare coupled to each other to move relative to each other so as to be atleast partially fitted together with each other. For example, the firsthousing and the second housing may operate to slide with respect to eachother, and support and guide at least a portion of a flexible display(e.g., an expandable display or a stretchable display) such that theflexible display has a first display area in a slide-in state and suchthat the flexible display has a second display area, which is greaterthan the first display area, in a slide-out state.

The rollable electronic device may include a bendable member (e.g., amulti-bar assembly) for supporting at least a portion of the flexibledisplay when the second housing moves by a specified distance from thefirst housing. At least a portion of the flexible display, when theelectronic device is in a slide-in state, may slide in the inner spaceof the first housing or the inner space of the second housing to be bentwhile being supported by a bendable member. In addition, the electronicdevice may include at least one pressing member (e.g., a sliding frame)for pressing the rear surface of the bendable member in a slide-outdirection while the electronic device is switching from the slide-instate to the slide-out state.

However, since such a pressing member provides a pressing force whilebeing in contact with the bendable member, frictional resistanceincreases, and thus a relatively large driving force is required, whichmay reduce usability or cause much power consumption, and may cause aproblem such as malfunction of the electronic device or noise.

Aspects of the disclosure are to address at least the above-mentionedproblems and/or disadvantages and to provide at least the advantagesdescribed below. Accordingly, an aspect of the disclosure is to providean electronic device including a flexible display capable of reducingfrictional force between a bendable member supporting the flexibledisplay and a pressing member pressing the same.

Another aspect of the disclosure is to provide an electronic deviceincluding a flexible display capable of providing an efficient drivingforce according to sliding-in/sliding-out by reducing the frictionalforce between the bendable member and the pressing member and helping inreducing noise.

However, the problems to be solved in the disclosure are not limited tothe above-mentioned problems, and may be variously expanded withoutdeparting from the concept and scope of the disclosure.

Additional aspects will be set forth in part in the description whichfollows and, in part, will be apparent from the description, or may belearned by practice of the presented embodiments.

Solution to Problem

In accordance with an aspect of the disclosure, an electronic device isprovided. The electronic device includes a flexible display including afirst area disposed to be visible to the outside and a second areaextending from the first area and disposed to be accommodated inside theelectronic device in a first state and to be at least partially visibleto the outside in a second state, a bendable member disposed on the rearsurface of the flexible display and configured to support the flexibledisplay in the first state and the second state, a case configured tosupport at least a portion of the flexible display, a sliding frameslidably coupled to the case and including a slide plate having aplurality of first guide slits formed therein and a sliding barextending from the slide plate and coming into contact with the bendablemember in the second state, and a plurality of driving bodies configuredto enable sliding movement of the flexible display while switching fromthe first state to the second state.

Advantageous Effects of Invention

An electronic device according to various embodiments of the disclosuremay reduce friction between components supporting expansion andcontraction of a screen when the screen of the display is expanded orcontracted, thereby reducing the power required for expansion andcontraction of the screen of the display.

In addition, various effects directly or indirectly recognized throughthis document may be provided.

Other aspects, advantages, and salient features of the disclosure willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings,discloses various embodiments of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The above and other aspects, features, and advantages of certainembodiments of the disclosure will be more apparent from the followingdescription taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an electronic device in a networkenvironment according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2A is a front perspective view of an electronic device illustratinga first state (e.g., a closed state or a slide-in state) according to anembodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 2B is a front perspective view of an electronic device illustratinga second state (e.g., an open state or a slide-out state) according toan embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device accordingto an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 4A is a view illustrating a front surface (e.g., a surface on whicha screen is displayed) of an electronic device in a first state (e.g., aclosed state) according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 4B is a view illustrating a front surface (e.g., a surface on whicha screen is displayed) of an electronic device in a second state (e.g.,an open state) according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 4C is a view illustrating a rear surface of an electronic device ina second state (e.g., an open state) according to an embodiment of thedisclosure;

FIG. 4D is a cross-sectional perspective view of an electronic devicetaken along line Al-A2 in FIG. 4A according to an embodiment of thedisclosure;

FIG. 5A is a view illustrating the configuration of a sliding module ofan electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 5B is a view illustrating a bendable member of an electronic deviceaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a sliding frame module of an electronicdevice according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIGS. 7 and 8 are views showing that a driving body is coupled to asliding frame and that a roller is coupled to a sliding bar according tovarious embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a first guide slit formed in a slidingframe and a driving body coupled to the first guide slit according to anembodiment of the disclosure;

FIGS. 10A and 10B are views showing that a roller is coupled to asliding bar according to various embodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 11 is a view showing that a driving body coupled to a sliding frameis unfolded to move the sliding frame according to an embodiment of thedisclosure;

FIG. 12A is a diagram illustrating a driving body of an electronicdevice according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIGS. 12B, 12C, 12D, 12E, and 12F are views illustrating a couplingstructure between a sliding frame and a driving body and a couplingstructure between a driving body and a front case according to variousembodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 13 is a view illustrating the state in which a roller is disposedin an electronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 14 shows that friction is reduced by a roller when the electronicdevice is in a closed state (e.g., a first state) (e.g., a screencontraction state) (e.g., rolling-in or sliding-in) and an open state(e.g., a second state) (e.g., a screen expansion state) (e.g.,rolling-out or sliding-out) according to an embodiment of thedisclosure;

FIGS. 15 and 16 are views showing that a closed state (e.g., a firststate) is maintained by a locking device according to variousembodiments of the disclosure;

FIG. 17 is a view showing switching to an open state (e.g., a secondstate) by releasing the locking device according to an embodiment of thedisclosure;

FIG. 18 is a view illustrating a roller and a bendable member accordingto an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 19 is a view illustrating a roller and a bendable member accordingto an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 20 is a view illustrating the shape of a sliding bar according toan embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 21 is a view illustrating a buffer member disposed between a rollerand a bendable member according to an embodiment of the disclosure;

FIG. 22 is a view showing that a bearing is applied to a sliding baraccording to an embodiment of the disclosure; and

FIG. 23 is a view showing that a friction reducing member is applied toreduce friction between a driving shaft and a sliding frame according toan embodiment of the disclosure.

Throughout the drawings, it should be noted that like reference numbersare used to depict the same or similar elements, features, andstructures.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The following description with reference to the accompanying drawings isprovided to assist in a comprehensive understanding of variousembodiments of the disclosure as defined by the claims and theirequivalents. It includes various specific details to assist in thatunderstanding but these are to be regarded as merely exemplary.Accordingly, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize thatvarious changes and modifications of the various embodiments describedherein can be made without departing from the scope and spirit of thedisclosure. In addition, descriptions of well-known functions andconstructions may be omitted for clarity and conciseness.

The terms and words used in the following description and claims are notlimited to the bibliographical meanings, but, are merely used by theinventor to enable a clear and consistent understanding of thedisclosure. Accordingly, it should be apparent to those skilled in theart that the following description of various embodiments of thedisclosure is provided for illustration purpose only and not for thepurpose of limiting the disclosure as defined by the appended claims andtheir equivalents.

It is to be understood that the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the”include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.Thus, for example, reference to “a component surface” includes referenceto one or more of such surfaces.

FIG. 1 illustrates an electronic device in a network environmentaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 1, an electronic device 101 in a network environment100 may communicate with an electronic device 102 via a first network198 (e.g., a short-range wireless communication network), or anelectronic device 104 or a server 108 via a second network 199 (e.g., along-range wireless communication network). The electronic device 101may communicate with the electronic device 104 via the server 108. Theelectronic device 101 includes a processor 120, memory 130, an inputdevice 150, an audio output device 155, a display device 160, an audiomodule 170, a sensor module 176, an interface 177, a haptic module 179,a camera module 180, a power management module 188, a battery 189, acommunication module 190, a subscriber identification module (SIM) 196,or an antenna module 197. In some embodiments, at least one (e.g., thedisplay device 160 or the camera module 180) of the components may beomitted from the electronic device 101, or one or more other componentsmay be added in the electronic device 101. In some embodiments, some ofthe components may be implemented as single integrated circuitry. Forexample, the sensor module 176 (e.g., a fingerprint sensor, an irissensor, or an illuminance sensor) may be implemented as embedded in thedisplay device 160 (e.g., a display).

The processor 120 may execute, for example, software (e.g., a program140) to control at least one other component (e.g., a hardware orsoftware component) of the electronic device 101 coupled with theprocessor 120, and may perform various data processing or computation.As at least part of the data processing or computation, the processor120 may load a command or data received from another component (e.g.,the sensor module 176 or the communication module 190) in volatilememory 132, process the command or the data stored in the volatilememory 132, and store resulting data in non-volatile memory 134. Theprocessor 120 may include a main processor 121 (e.g., a centralprocessing unit (CPU) or an application processor (AP)), and anauxiliary processor 123 (e.g., a graphics processing unit (GPU), animage signal processor (ISP), a sensor hub processor, or a communicationprocessor (CP)) that is operable independently from, or in conjunctionwith, the main processor 121. Additionally, or alternatively, theauxiliary processor 123 may be adapted to consume less power than themain processor 121, or to be specific to a specified function. Theauxiliary processor 123 may be implemented as separate from, or as partof the main processor 121.

The auxiliary processor 123 may control at least some of functions orstates related to at least one component (e.g., the display device 160,the sensor module 176, or the communication module 190) among thecomponents of the electronic device 101, instead of the main processor121 while the main processor 121 is in an inactive (e.g., sleep) state,or together with the main processor 121 while the main processor 121 isin an active state (e.g., executing an application). The auxiliaryprocessor 123 (e.g., an ISP or a CP) may be implemented as part ofanother component (e.g., the camera module 180 or the communicationmodule 190) functionally related to the auxiliary processor 123.

The memory 130 may store various data used by at least one component(e.g., the processor 120 or the sensor module 176) of the electronicdevice 101. The various data may include, for example, software (e.g.,the program 140) and input data or output data for a command relatedthereto. The memory 130 may include the volatile memory 132 or thenon-volatile memory 134. The non-volatile memory 134 may includeinternal memory 136 and external memory 138.

The program 140 may be stored in the memory 130 as software, and mayinclude, for example, an operating system (OS) 142, middleware 144, oran application 146.

The input device 150 may receive a command or data to be used by anothercomponent (e.g., the processor 120) of the electronic device 101, fromthe outside (e.g., a user) of the electronic device 101. The inputdevice 150 may include, for example, a microphone, a mouse, a keyboard,or a digital pen (e.g., a stylus pen).

The audio output device 155 may output sound signals to the outside ofthe electronic device 101. The audio output device 155 may include, forexample, a speaker or a receiver. The speaker may be used for generalpurposes, such as playing multimedia or playing record, and the receivermay be used for an incoming calls. The receiver may be implemented asseparate from, or as part of the speaker.

The display device 160 may visually provide information to the outside(e.g., a user) of the electronic device 101. The display device 160 mayinclude, for example, a display, a hologram device, or a projector andcontrol circuitry to control a corresponding one of the display,hologram device, and projector. The display device 160 may include touchcircuitry adapted to detect a touch, or sensor circuitry (e.g., apressure sensor) adapted to measure the intensity of force incurred bythe touch.

The audio module 170 may convert a sound into an electrical signal andvice versa. The audio module 170 may obtain the sound via the inputdevice 150, or output the sound via the audio output device 155 or aheadphone of an external electronic device (e.g., an electronic device102) directly (e.g., wired) or wirelessly coupled with the electronicdevice 101.

The sensor module 176 may detect an operational state (e.g., power ortemperature) of the electronic device 101 or an environmental state(e.g., a state of a user) external to the electronic device 101, andthen generate an electrical signal or data value corresponding to thedetected state. The sensor module 176 may include, for example, agesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an atmospheric pressure sensor, amagnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, a proximitysensor, a color sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, atemperature sensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

The interface 177 may support one or more specified protocols to be usedfor the electronic device 101 to be coupled with the external electronicdevice (e.g., the electronic device 102) directly (e.g., wired) orwirelessly. The interface 177 may include, for example, a highdefinition multimedia interface (HDMI), a universal serial bus (USB)interface, a secure digital (SD) card interface, or an audio interface.

A connection terminal 178 may include a connector via which theelectronic device 101 may be physically connected with the externalelectronic device (e.g., the electronic device 102). The connectionterminal 178 may include, for example, a HDMI connector, a USBconnector, a SD card connector, or an audio connector (e.g., a headphoneconnector).

The haptic module 179 may convert an electrical signal into a mechanicalstimulus (e.g., a vibration or a movement) or electrical stimulus whichmay be recognized by a user via his tactile sensation or kinestheticsensation. The haptic module 179 may include, for example, a motor, apiezoelectric element, or an electric stimulator.

The camera module 180 may capture an image or moving images. The cameramodule 180 may include one or more lenses, image sensors, image signalprocessors, or flashes.

The power management module 188 may manage power supplied to theelectronic device 101. The power management module 188 may beimplemented as at least part of, for example, a power managementintegrated circuit (PMIC).

The battery 189 may supply power to at least one component of theelectronic device 101. The battery 189 may include, for example, aprimary cell which is not rechargeable, a secondary cell which isrechargeable, or a fuel cell.

The communication module 190 may support establishing a direct (e.g.,wired) communication channel or a wireless communication channel betweenthe electronic device 101 and the external electronic device (e.g., theelectronic device 102, the electronic device 104, or the server 108) andperforming communication via the established communication channel. Thecommunication module 190 may include one or more communicationprocessors that are operable independently from the processor 120 (e.g.,the AP) and supports a direct (e.g., wired) communication or a wirelesscommunication. The communication module 190 may include a wirelesscommunication module 192 (e.g., a cellular communication module, ashort-range wireless communication module, or a global navigationsatellite system (GNSS) communication module) or a wired communicationmodule 194 (e.g., a local area network (LAN) communication module or apower line communication (PLC) module). A corresponding one of thesecommunication modules may communicate with the external electronicdevice via the first network 198 (e.g., a short-range communicationnetwork, such as Bluetooth™, wireless-fidelity (Wi-Fi) direct, orinfrared data association (IrDA)) or the second network 199 (e.g., along-range communication network, such as a cellular network, theInternet, or a computer network (e.g., LAN or wide area network (WAN)).These various types of communication modules may be implemented as asingle component (e.g., a single chip), or may be implemented as multicomponents (e.g., multi chips) separate from each other. The wirelesscommunication module 192 may identify and authenticate the electronicdevice 101 in a communication network, such as the first network 198 orthe second network 199, using subscriber information (e.g.,international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI)) stored in the SIM 196.

The wireless communication module 192 may support a 5G network, after a4G network, and next-generation communication technology, e.g., newradio (NR) access technology. The NR access technology may supportenhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine type communications(mMTC), or ultra-reliable and low-latency communications (URLLC). Thewireless communication module 192 may support a high-frequency band(e.g., the mmWave band) to achieve, e.g., a high data transmission rate.The wireless communication module 192 may support various technologiesfor securing performance on a high-frequency band, such as, e.g.,beamforming, massive multiple-input and multiple-output (massive MIMO),full dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antenna, analog beam-forming, orlarge scale antenna. The wireless communication module 192 may supportvarious requirements specified in the electronic device 101, an externalelectronic device (e.g., the electronic device 104), or a network system(e.g., the second network 199). According to an embodiment, the wirelesscommunication module 192 may support a peak data rate (e.g., 20 Gbps ormore) for implementing eMBB, loss coverage (e.g., 164 dB or less) forimplementing mMTC, or U-plane latency (e.g., 0.5 ms or less for each ofdownlink (DL) and uplink (UL), or a round trip of lms or less) forimplementing URLLC.

The antenna module 197 may transmit or receive a signal or power to orfrom the outside (e.g., the external electronic device) of theelectronic device 101. According to an embodiment, the antenna module197 may include an antenna including a radiating element composed of aconductive material or a conductive pattern formed in or on a substrate(e.g., a printed circuit board (PCB)). According to an embodiment, theantenna module 197 may include a plurality of antennas (e.g., arrayantennas). In such a case, at least one antenna appropriate for acommunication scheme used in the communication network, such as thefirst network 198 or the second network 199, may be selected, forexample, by the communication module 190 (e.g., the wirelesscommunication module 192) from the plurality of antennas. The signal orthe power may then be transmitted or received between the communicationmodule 190 and the external electronic device via the selected at leastone antenna. According to an embodiment, another component (e.g., aradio frequency integrated circuit (RFIC)) other than the radiatingelement may be additionally formed as part of the antenna module 197.

According to various embodiments, the antenna module 197 may form ammWave antenna module. According to an embodiment, the mmWave antennamodule may include a printed circuit board, a RFIC disposed on a firstsurface (e.g., the bottom surface) of the printed circuit board, oradjacent to the first surface and capable of supporting a designatedhigh-frequency band (e.g., the mmWave band), and a plurality of antennas(e.g., array antennas) disposed on a second surface (e.g., the top or aside surface) of the printed circuit board, or adjacent to the secondsurface and capable of transmitting or receiving signals of thedesignated high-frequency band.

At least some of the above-described components may be coupled mutuallyand communicate signals (e.g., commands or data) therebetween via aninter-peripheral communication scheme (e.g., a bus, general purposeinput and output (GPIO), serial peripheral interface (SPI), or mobileindustry processor interface (MIPI)).

According to an embodiment, commands or data may be transmitted orreceived between the electronic device 101 and the external electronicdevice 104 via the server 108 coupled with the second network 199. Eachof the electronic devices 102 or 104 may be a device of a same type as,or a different type, from the electronic device 101. According to anembodiment, all or some of operations to be executed at the electronicdevice 101 may be executed at one or more of the external electronicdevices 102, 104, or 108. For example, if the electronic device 101should perform a function or a service automatically, or in response toa request from a user or another device, the electronic device 101,instead of, or in addition to, executing the function or the service,may request the one or more external electronic devices to perform atleast part of the function or the service. The one or more externalelectronic devices receiving the request may perform the at least partof the function or the service requested, or an additional function oran additional service related to the request, and transfer an outcome ofthe performing to the electronic device 101. The electronic device 101may provide the outcome, with or without further processing of theoutcome, as at least part of a reply to the request. To that end, acloud computing, distributed computing, mobile edge computing (MEC), orclient-server computing technology may be used, for example. Theelectronic device 101 may provide ultra low-latency services using,e.g., distributed computing or mobile edge computing. In anotherembodiment, the external electronic device 104 may include aninternet-of-things (IoT) device. The server 108 may be an intelligentserver using machine learning and/or a neural network. According to anembodiment, the external electronic device 104 or the server 108 may beincluded in the second network 199. The electronic device 101 may beapplied to intelligent services (e.g., smart home, smart city, smartcar, or healthcare) based on 5G communication technology or IoT-relatedtechnology.

According to an embodiment, the display module 160 shown in FIG. 1 mayinclude a flexible display configured to be folded or unfolded.

According to an embodiment, the display module 160 shown in FIG. 1 mayinclude a flexible display that is slidably disposed to provide a screen(e.g., a display screen).

For example, a display area of the electronic device 101 is an area thatis visually exposed to output an image, and the electronic device 101may adjust the width of the display area according to movement of ahousing (e.g., the second housing 220 in FIG. 2A) or movement of thedisplay. An example of an electronic device including the display module160 may be a rollable electronic device configured such that at least aportion (e.g., a housing) of the electronic device 101 is operated to beat least partially slidable, thereby promoting selective expansion of adisplay area. For example, the display module 160 may be referred to asa slide-out display or an expandable display.

FIG. 2A is a front perspective view of an electronic device illustratinga first state (e.g., a closed state or a slide-in state) according to anembodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 2B is a front perspective view of anelectronic device illustrating a second state (e.g., an open state or aslide-out state) according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

The electronic device 200 illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 2B may be at leastpartially similar to the electronic device 101 in FIG. 1, or may furtherinclude other embodiments of the electronic device.

Referring to FIGS. 2A and 2B, the electronic device 200 may include afirst housing 210, a second housing 220, and a flexible display 230. Inan embodiment, the electronic device 200 may be implemented to expandthe screen 2301 in a sliding manner For example, the screen 2301 mayinclude an area of the flexible display 230, which is exposed to theoutside.

According to an embodiment, FIG. 2A shows the electronic device 200 inthe state in which the screen 2301 is not expanded, and FIG. 2B showsthe electronic device 200 in the state in which the screen 2301 isexpanded. The state in which the screen 2301 is not expanded may be thestate in which the second housing 220 does not slide out, and may bereferred to as a first state, for example, a closed state, below. Thestate in which the screen 2301 is expanded may be the state in which thescreen 2301 is maximally expanded and is no longer expanded bysliding-out of the second housing 220, and may be referred to as asecond state, for example, an open state, below.

In an embodiment, sliding-out may indicate that the second housing 220at least partially moves in a first direction (e.g., a -x axisdirection) when the electronic device 200 switches from the closed stateto the open state. The open state may be defined as the state in whichthe screen 2301 is expanded compared to the closed state, and providevarious sizes of screens 2301 according to the movement position of thesecond housing 220.

In various embodiments, the state of the electronic device 200 mayinclude a third state, for example, an intermediate state. Theintermediate state may mean the state between the closed state in FIG.2A and the open state in FIG. 2B. The screen 2301 may include an activearea of the flexible display 230, which is visually exposed to outputimages, and the electronic device 200 may adjust the active areaaccording to a change in the size of the screen 2301 of the flexibledisplay 230 depending on the movement of the second housing 220. In thefollowing description, the open state may indicate the state in whichthe screen 2301 is maximally expanded.

In various embodiments, the flexible display 230 slidably disposed onthe electronic device 200 in FIG. 2A to provide the screen 2301 may bereferred to as a “slide-out display”, a “stretchable display”, or an“expandable display”.

In an embodiment, the electronic device 200 may include a slidingstructure related to the flexible display 230. For example, when thesecond housing 220 is moved by a configured distance by an externalforce in order to change the size of the screen 2301 of the flexibledisplay 230, switching from the closed state to the open state or fromthe open state to the closed state may be performed due to an elasticstructure included in the sliding structure (e.g., a semi-automaticsliding operation) even without further external force. In anotherembodiment, when a signal is generated through an input device includedin the electronic device 200, the electronic device 200 may switch fromthe closed state to the open state or from the open state to the closedstate due to a driving device such as a motor or a hinge connected tothe flexible display 230. For example, when a signal is generatedthrough a hardware button or a software button provided through ascreen, the electronic device 200 may switch from the closed state tothe open state or from the open state to the closed state.

In another embodiment, when a signal is generated from various sensorssuch as a pressure sensor, the electronic device 200 may switch from theclosed state to the open state or from the open state to the closedstate. For example, when the electronic device 200 is carried or held bya hand, the electronic device 200 may detect, through a sensor, asqueeze gesture in which a portion (e.g., the palm or finger) of thehand presses a specified section of the electronic device 200, and mayswitch from the closed state to the open state or from the open state tothe closed state in response thereto.

In an embodiment, the flexible display 230 may include a first section{circle around (1)} (or fixed section) and a second section {circlearound (2)}. The first section {circle around (1)} (or fixed section)and the second section {circle around (2)} may be connected. The firstsection {circle around (1)} (or fixed section) may be fixed to the firsthousing 210 and/or at least one support member (e.g., the front case 330in FIG. 3) included inside the first housing 210. When switching fromthe closed state in FIG. 2A to the open state in FIG. 2B, the secondsection {circle around (2)} connected to the first section {circlearound (1)} may slide out due to the movement of the second housing 220,thereby expanding the screen (e.g., see the screen 2301 in FIG. 2B). Theflexible display 230 may include the second section (or bendablesection) {circle around (2)} (see FIG. 2B). The second section {circlearound (2)} may include the expanded portion of the screen 2301 when theelectronic device 200 switches from the closed state to the open state.When the electronic device 200 switches from the closed state to theopen state, the second section {circle around (2)} may slide out of theinner space of the electronic device 200 to be visible to the outside,thereby expanding the screen 2301. When the electronic device 200switches from the open state to the closed state, at least a portion ofthe second section {circle around (2)} may slide in the inner space ofthe electronic device 200, thereby contracting the screen 2301. As anembodiment, when the electronic device 200 switches from the open stateto the closed state, at least a portion (e.g., the second section{circle around (2)} or the bendable section) of the flexible display 230may be bent. When the electronic device 200 switches from the open stateto the closed state, at least a portion of the second section {circlearound (2)} may be bent and moved to the inner space (e.g., the innerspace of the second housing 220). For example, the flexible display 230may include a flexible substrate (e.g., a plastic substrate) that isformed of a polymer material including polyimide (PI) or polyester(PET).

As an embodiment, when switching from the open state in FIG. 2B to theclosed state in FIG. 2A, the second section {circle around (2)} may atleast partially enter the electronic device 200 due to the movement ofthe second housing 220, thereby contracting the screen (e.g., see thescreen 2301 in FIG. 2A). In an embodiment, the roller (e.g., the roller400 in FIG. 3, the roller 400 in FIG. 6, or the roller 400 in FIG. 7)may be positioned corresponding to the second section {circle around(1)}, and during the switching between the closed state in FIG. 2A andthe open state in FIG. 2B, the roller (e.g., the roller 400 in FIG. 3,the roller 400 in FIG. 6, or the roller 400 of FIG. 7) may be rotateddue to the movement of the second section {circle around (1)}.

In an embodiment, the first housing 210 may include a back cover (notshown), a first side cover 213, or a second side cover 214.

In an embodiment, the back cover (not shown) may form at least a portionof a rear surface (not shown) of the electronic device 200. In anembodiment, the back cover (not shown) may be substantially opaque. Forexample, the back cover (not shown) may be formed of coated or tintedglass, ceramic, polymer, metal (e.g., aluminum, stainless steel (STS),or magnesium), or a combination of at least two thereof

In an embodiment, in the state (e.g., the closed state) in which thesecond section {circle around (2)} of the flexible display 230 slide inthe inner space of the second housing 220, at least a portion of thesecond section {circle around (2)} may be disposed so as to be visibleto the outside through at least a portion of the back cover (not shown).In this case, the back cover (not shown) may be formed of a transparentmaterial and/or a translucent material.

In an embodiment, the first side cover 213 and the second side cover 214may be positioned on opposite sides. For example, the first side cover213 and the second side cover 214 may be on opposite sides of theflexible display 230 in a second direction (e.g., a y axis direction)perpendicular to the first direction (e.g., the -x axis direction) ofthe sliding-out of the second housing 220. The first side cover 213 mayform at least a portion of a first side surface (not shown) of theelectronic device 200, and the second side cover 214 may form at least aportion of a second side surface 214 a of the electronic device 200,which faces in the opposite direction of the first side surface (notshown). The first side cover 213 may include a first edge portion 213 bthat extends from the edge of the first side surface (not shown). Forexample, the first edge portion 213 b may form at least a portion of oneside bezel of the electronic device 200. The second side cover 214 mayinclude a second edge portion 214 b that extends from the edge of thesecond side surface 214 a. For example, the second edge portion 214 bmay form at least a portion of the opposite side bezel of the electronicdevice 200. In an embodiment, the surface of the first edge portion 213b, the surface of the second edge portion 214 b, and the surface of thesecond housing 220 may be smoothly connected in the closed state in FIG.2A, thereby forming one side curved portion (not shown) corresponding toa first curved portion 230 b of the screen 2301. In an embodiment, thesurface of the first edge portion 213 b or the surface of the secondedge portion 214 b may include the opposite side curved portion (notshown) corresponding to a second curved portion 230 c of the screen2301, which is positioned opposite the first curved portion 230 b.

In an embodiment, at least a portion of the flexible display 230 may bedisposed in the second housing 220, and the closed state in FIG. 2A orthe open state in FIG. 2B may be determined based on the position of thesecond housing 220 that moves based on the first housing 210.

In an embodiment, the second housing 220 may include a third side cover223, a fourth side cover 224, and a third edge portion 220 b.

In an embodiment, the third side cover 223 and the fourth side cover 224may be positioned on opposite sides. For example, the third side cover223 and the fourth side cover 224 may be on opposite sides of theflexible display 230 in the second direction (e.g., the y axisdirection) perpendicular to the first direction (e.g., the -x axisdirection) of the sliding-out of the second housing 220.

In an embodiment, the third edge portion 220 b may form an outer surfaceof the electronic device 200 (e.g., the surface exposed to the outsideto form the exterior of the electronic device 200). For example, thethird edge portion 220 b may form the bezel around the screen 2301together with the first edge portion 213 b and the second edge portion214 b in the closed state in FIG. 2A. The third edge portion 220 b mayextend in the second direction (e.g., the y axis direction) in order toconnect one end of the first side cover 213 and one end of the secondside cover 214 in the closed state. For example, the surface of thethird edge portion 220 b may be smoothly connected to the surface of thefirst edge portion 213 b and/or the surface of the second edge portion214 b in the closed state in FIG. 2A.

In an embodiment, at least a portion of the second section {circlearound (2)} may slide out of the inside of the electronic device 200 dueto the sliding-out of the second housing 220, thereby providing thestate (e.g., the open state) in which the screen 2301 is expanded asshown in FIG. 2B.

In an embodiment, in the closed state in FIG. 2A, the screen 2301 mayinclude a flat portion 230 a, and a first curved portion 230 b and/or asecond curved portion 230 c that are positioned on opposite sides of theflat portion 230 a. For example, the first curved portion 230 b and thesecond curved portion 230 c may be substantially symmetrical withrespect to the flat portion 230 a positioned therebetween. In anembodiment, when the closed state in FIG. 2A is switched to the openstate in FIG. 2B, the flat portion 230 a may be expanded. For example, apartial area of the second section {circle around (2)}, which forms thefirst curved portion 230 b in the closed state in FIG. 2A, may beincluded in the flat portion 230 a that expands when switching from theclosed state in FIG. 2A to the open state in FIG. 2B.

In an embodiment, the electronic device 200 may include an opening (notshown) of the second section {circle around (2)} for sliding-in orsliding-out and/or a roller (e.g., the roller 400 in FIG. 3, the roller400 in FIG. 6, or the roller 400 in FIG. 7) (or pulley) (not shown)positioned in the opening (not shown). The roller (e.g., the roller 400in FIG. 3, the roller 400 in FIG. 6, or the roller 400 in FIG. 7) may bepositioned corresponding to the second section {circle around (2)}, andwhen switching between the closed state in FIG. 2A and the open state inFIG. 2B, movement of the second section {circle around (2)} and themovement direction thereof may be guided through rotation of the roller(e.g., the roller 400 in FIG. 3, the roller 400 in FIG. 6, or the roller400 in FIG. 7). The first curved portion 230 b may be formedcorresponding to the curved surface formed on one surface of the secondhousing 220. The first curved portion 230 b may be formed by the portioncorresponding to the curved surface of the roller (e.g., the roller 400in FIG. 3, the roller 400 in FIG. 6, or the roller 400 in FIG. 7) in thesecond section {circle around (2)}. In another embodiment, theelectronic device 200 may be implemented as a form in which the flatportion 230 a is expanded without the second curved portion 230 c.

In an embodiment, the flexible display 230 may further include a touchdetection circuit (e.g., a touch sensor). Although not shown, in variousembodiments, the flexible display 230 may be combined with or disposedadjacent to a pressure sensor capable of measuring the intensity(pressure) of a touch and/or a digitizer for detecting a pen inputdevice (e.g., a stylus pen) in a magnetic field type. For example, thedigitizer may include a coil member that is disposed on a dielectricsubstrate in order to detect a resonance frequency in an electromagneticinduction type, which is applied from a pen input device.

In an embodiment, the electronic device 200 may include a microphonehole 251 (e.g., the input module 150 in FIG. 1), a speaker hole 252(e.g., the sound output module 155 in FIG. 1), and/or a connector hole253 (e.g., the connection terminal 178 in FIG. 1). In some embodiments,the electronic device 200 may exclude at least one of the elements, ormay further include other elements.

In an embodiment, the microphone hole 251 may be formed on at least aportion of the second side surface 214 a so as to correspond to themicrophone (not shown) positioned inside the electronic device 200. Theposition of the microphone hole 251 is not limited to the embodiment inFIG. 2A, and may vary. In an embodiment, the electronic device 200 mayinclude a plurality of microphones capable of detecting the direction ofsound.

In an embodiment, the speaker hole 252 may be formed on at least aportion of the second side surface 214 a so as to correspond to aspeaker (not shown) positioned inside the electronic device 200. Theposition of the speaker hole 252 is not limited to the embodiment inFIG. 2A, and may vary. In various embodiments, the electronic device 200may include call receiver hole. In some embodiments, the microphone hole251 and the speaker hole 252 may be implemented as one hole, or thespeaker hole 252 may be omitted like a piezo speaker.

In an embodiment, the connector hole 253 may be formed on at least aportion of the second side surface 214 a so as to correspond to aconnector (e.g., a USB connector) positioned inside the electronicdevice 200. The electronic device 200 may transmit and/or receive powerand/or data to and/or from an external electronic device that iselectrically connected to the connector through the connector hole 253.The position of the connector hole 253 is not limited to the embodimentin FIG. 2A, and may vary.

Although not shown, in various embodiments, the electronic device 200may include a camera module (e.g., a front camera) that produces animage signal, based on the light received through one surface (e.g., thefront surface 200A) of the electronic device 200 that is positioned inthe direction in which the screen 2301 faces. For example, the cameramodule (e.g., the front camera) (not shown) may be positioned inside thefirst housing 210 while being aligned with the opening (e.g., athrough-hole or a notch) formed in the flexible display 230. The cameramodule (e.g., the front camera) (not shown) may receive light through anopening and a portion of a transparent cover that overlaps the opening,thereby producing an image signal. The transparent cover may serve toprotect the flexible display 230 from the outside, and include amaterial such as polyimide or ultra-thin glass (UTG).

In various embodiments, the camera module (e.g., the front camera) (notshown) may be disposed at the lower end of at least a portion of thescreen 2301 of the flexible display 230, and perform related functions(e.g., an image shooting) while the position of the camera module (e.g.,the front camera) (not shown) is not visually distinguished (orexposed). In this case, when viewed from above the screen 2301, thecamera module (e.g., the front camera) (not shown) may be disposed tooverlap at least a portion of the screen 2301 to obtain the image of anexternal subject without being exposed to the outside. In an embodiment,as a portion of the area that displays the content, the area of theflexible display 230, which faces the camera module, is a portion of thearea displaying content, and may be formed as a transmissive area havinga specified transmittance. According to an embodiment, the transmissivearea may be formed to have a transmittance in the range of about 5% toabout 20%. The transmissive area may include an area that overlaps theeffective area (e.g., the angle-of-view area) of the camera modulethrough which light to be received by an image sensor and produce animage passes. For example, the transmissive area of the flexible display230 may include an area having a lower pixel density and/or wiringdensity than the surrounding area. For example, the transmissive areamay replace the opening described above. For example, some of the cameramodules may include an under display camera (UDC).

Although not shown, in various embodiments, the electronic device 200may further include a key input device (e.g., the input module 150 inFIG. 1). The key input device may be positioned on the first sidesurface (not shown) of the electronic device 200, which is formed by thefirst side cover 213. In various embodiments, the key input device mayinclude at least one sensor module.

Although not shown, in various embodiments, the electronic device 200may include various sensor modules (e.g., the sensor module 176 in FIG.1). The sensor module may produce an electrical signal or a data valuecorresponding to the internal operation state of the electronic device200 or the external environmental state. For example, the sensor modulemay include a proximity sensor for producing a signal regardingproximity of an external object, based on the light received through thefront surface 200A of the electronic device 200, which is disposed inthe direction in which the screen 2301 faces. For another example, thesensor module may include various biometric sensors such as afingerprint sensor or an HRM sensor for detecting biometric information,based on the light received through the front surface 200A or rearsurface (not shown) of the electronic device 200. The electronic device200 may include at least one of various other sensor modules, forexample, a gesture sensor, a gyro sensor, an atmospheric pressuresensor, a magnetic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a grip sensor, acolor sensor, an infrared (IR) sensor, a biometric sensor, a temperaturesensor, a humidity sensor, or an illuminance sensor.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of an electronic device accordingto an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 3, an electronic device 300 (e.g., the electronicdevice 200 in FIGS. 2A and 2B) according to various embodiments ofdisclosure may include a flexible display 310 (e.g., the flexibledisplay 230 in FIGS. 2A and 2B), a bendable member 320 (e.g., amulti-bar assembly), a front case 330, a sliding frame 340, a drivingbody 350, a guide rail 360, a first housing 380 (e.g., the first housing210 in FIGS. 2A and 2B), a second housing 370 (e.g., the second housing220 in FIGS. 2A and 2B), a back cover 390 (e.g., a back glass), and aroller 400 (e.g., the roller 400 in FIG. 4D, the roller 400 in FIG. 6,or the roller 400 in FIG. 7). In addition, the electronic device 300according to various embodiments of the disclosure may have an innerspace provided by the front case 330 and the first housing 380, andinclude a battery (e.g., the battery 188 of FIG. 1) and a printedcircuit board that are disposed in the inner space. At least some of theprocessor 120, the memory 130, the input module 150, the sound outputmodule 155, the audio module 170, the sensor module 176, the interface177, and the connection terminal 178, the haptic module 179, the cameramodule 180, the power management module 188, and the communicationmodule 190, which are shown in FIG. 1, and/or other components of theelectronic device 300 may be disposed in the printed circuit board.

According to an embodiment, the flexible display 310 may be formed of aflexible material to be rolled up, and display an image according to aninput image signal. The flexible display 310 may include a fixed section(e.g., the first section {circle around (1)} in FIG. 2B) that is exposedto the outside when the screen (e.g., the screen 2301 in FIGS. 2A and2B) is in a contracted state (e.g., the closed state in FIG. 2A) and abendable section (e.g., the second section {circle around (2)} in FIG.2B) that is exposed to the outside when the screen 2301 is in anexpanded state (e.g., the open state in FIG. 2B).

According to an embodiment, the bendable member 320 may include aplurality of guide bars (e.g., the plurality of guide bars 322 in FIG.5B) that are rotatably combined with each other to enable the rollingoperation of the flexible display 310. The bendable member 320 may beattached to at least a portion of the rear surface of the flexibledisplay 310 using an adhesive (e.g., a thermally reactive adhesivemember, a photoreactive adhesive member, a general adhesive, and/or adouble-sided tape), and the plurality of guide bars (e.g., the pluralityof guide bars 322 in FIG. 5B) of the bendable member 320 may be disposedto have a predetermined gap therebetween. The bendable member 320 maysupport the bendable section (e.g., the bendable section {circle around(2)} in FIG. 2B) such that the bendable section (e.g., the bendablesection {circle around (2)} in FIG. 2B) of the flexible display 310 maybe maintained to be smoothly connected with the fixed section (e.g., thefixed section {circle around (1)} of FIG. 2B) of the flexible display310.

According to an embodiment, although not shown, the electronic device300 may further include a support plate (not shown) that is connected tothe bendable member 320. For example, the support plate (not shown) maybe connected to guide bar that is disposed in the outermost end of theplurality of guide bars (e.g., the plurality of guide bars 322 in FIG.5B) in order to support the fixed section (e.g., the fixed section{circle around (1)} in FIG. 2B).

According to an embodiment, the front case 330 may support at least aportion of the flexible display 310 through an upper surface thereof,and provide a space in order for the electronic components such as abattery (e.g., the battery 188 in FIG. 1) or a printed circuit board tobe disposed.

According to an embodiment, the sliding frame 340 may include a slideplate 342 and a sliding bar 344. The sliding frame 340 may be integrallyformed with the sliding bar 344. In some embodiments, the sliding frame340 may be formed to be separate from the sliding bar 344, and may bestructurally coupled thereto. A plurality of guide slits 346 may beincluded in the slide plate 342. Some guide slits 346 b among theplurality of guide slits 346 may be formed by cutting a portion of theslide plate 342 to have a predetermined width, and the remaining guideslits 346 a may be formed such that a portion of the driving body 350 isinserted thereto to be guided. The plurality of guide slits 346 mayinclude a plurality of first guide slits 346 a having a predeterminedcurvature and a plurality of second guide slits 346 b having a linearshape. A driving shaft (e.g., the driving shaft 356 in FIG. 9) of thedriving body 350 may be inserted into the plurality of first guide slits346 a. For example, the driving shaft 356 may move along the curveformed to have a curvature in the plurality of the first guide slits 346a according to folding and unfolding of the driving body 350. Inaddition, a first link portion (e.g., the first link portion 352 a inFIG. 12A) and a second link portion (e.g., the second link portion 354 ain FIG. 12A) of the driving body 350 may be at least partially insertedinto the plurality of the second guide slits 356 b. The first linkportion 352 and the second link portion 354 may move along the secondguide slit 346 b according to folding or unfolding of the driving body350.

According to an embodiment, the sliding frame 340 may slide in the xaxis direction and the -x axis direction according to movement of thedriving body 350 and/or the second housing 370, and expand or contract ascreen (e.g., the screen 2301 in FIG. 2B) of the flexible display 310.For example, the sliding frame 340 may push the bendable member 320 inthe -x axis direction to expand the screen (e.g., the screen 2301 inFIG. 2B) of the flexible display 310. Alternatively, in the expandedstate (e.g., the open state) of the screen (e.g., the screen 2301 inFIG. 2B), when the second housing 370 is moved in the x axis directionby an external force, the sliding frame 340 may push the bendable member320 in the x axis direction to contract the screen (e.g., the screen2301 in FIG. 2B) of the flexible display 310. The sliding frame 340 maysupport at least a portion of the bendable member 320 in a curvedportion 300 d (e.g., the first curved portion 230 b in FIGS. 2A and 2Bor the curved portion 300 d in FIG. 4D). In addition, when the screen(e.g., the screen 2301 in FIG. 2B) of the flexible display 310 expands,the sliding frame 340 may support the bendable member 320 in a flat area(e.g., the flat area in FIGS. 2A and 2B) other than the curved portion300 d.

According to an embodiment, the roller 400 may be inserted into a rollerhole (e.g., the roller hole 348 in FIG. 6) that is formed at regularintervals in the sliding bar 344. The roller 400 may be self-rotatablycoupled to the roller hole. Accordingly, when the sliding frame 340moves from the closed state to the open state or from the open state tothe closed state, the contact-frictional force between the bendablemember 340 and the slide bar 344 may be reduced through the rotatableroller 400 in contact with at least a portion of the bendable member340.

According to an embodiment, the driving body 350 may include a firstdriving bar 352, a second driving bar 354, a driving shaft 356, and anelastic member (e.g., the elastic member 358 in FIGS. 12A and 12B). Thefirst driving bar 352 and the second driving bar 354 may be coupled bythe driving shaft 356, and the first driving bar 352 and the seconddriving bar 354 may pivot to each other with respect to the drivingshaft 356. The elastic member (e.g., the elastic member 358 in FIGS. 12Aand 12B) may provide an elastic force enabling the first driving bar 352and the second driving bar 354 to be unfolded. For example, the firstdriving bar 352 and the second driving bar 354 may be unfolded by aspecified angle by the elastic member (e.g., the elastic member 358 inFIGS. 12A and 12B) in the case where no external force is applied. In anembodiment, the elastic member (e.g., the elastic member 358 in FIGS.12A and 12B) may include a torsion spring. In some embodiments, thefirst driving bar 352 and the second driving bar 354 may have an anglelimit structure that prevents the first driving bar 352 and the seconddriving bar 354 from being unfolded at a specified angle or more throughthe elastic member (e.g., the elastic member 358 in FIGS. 12A and 12B).The angle limit structure may include a locking protrusion and a lockingportion that are formed on the first driving bar 352 and the seconddriving bar 354. The driving body 350 may be disposed such that thefirst driving bar 352 is rotatably coupled to the sliding frame 340 andsuch that the second driving bar 354 is rotatably coupled to the frontcase 330. The disclosure is not limited thereto, and the first drivingbar 352 of the driving body 350 may be coupled to the front case 330,and the second driving bar 354 may be coupled to the sliding frame 340.

For example, in order to provide a fastening force (or a fixing force)against the elastic force of the elastic member (e.g., the elasticmember 358 in FIGS. 12A and 12B), the electronic device 300 may includea locking device (e.g., the locking device 382 in FIGS. 15 and 16) thatis disposed on the rear surface (e.g., the surface opposite the surfaceon which the flexible display 310 is disposed) of the first housing 380,and a locking jaw (e.g., the locking jaw 372 in FIGS. 16 and 17) that isformed on the rear surface (e.g., the surface opposite the surface onwhich the flexible display 310 is disposed) of the second housing 370.It is possible to suppress the state change of the electronic device 300due to the elastic force of the elastic member (e.g., the elastic member358 in FIGS. 12A and 12B) using the locking device (e.g., the lockingdevice 382 in FIGS. 15 and 16) and the locking jaw (e.g., the lockingjaw 372 in FIGS. 16 and 17). For example, the first driving bar 352 andthe second driving bar 354 may remain in the folded state through thelocking structure in which the locking device is engaged with thelocking jaw (e.g., the locking jaw 372 in FIGS. 16 and 17). In anembodiment, the first driving bar 352 and the second driving bar 354 maybe coupled by the driving shaft 356, and the first driving bar 352 andthe second driving bar 354 may be folded or unfolded around the drivingshaft 356.

According to an embodiment, the guide rail 360 may include a guidegroove 362 (e.g., the guide groove 362 in FIG. 5A) on which at least aportion (e.g., the protrusion 324 in FIG. 5B) of the flexible display310 and/or the bendable member 320 is supported. The guide rail 360 mayprovide a path through which the flexible display 310 and/or thebendable member 320 moves through the guide groove 362. For example, itmay be disposed inside the guide rail 360 in the y axis direction andthe -y axis direction, respectively. The guide groove 362 may be formedto have a length in the x axis direction and the -x axis direction inthe guide rail 360. The guide rail 360 may have a shape corresponding tothe shape of a third side cover (e.g., the third side cover 223 in FIGS.2A and 2B) and/or a fourth side cover 224. Accordingly, the bendablesection (e.g., the bendable section {circle around (2)} in FIG. 2B) ofthe flexible display 310 may slide in the second housing 370 (e.g., movein the x axis direction) or slide out of the same (e.g., move in the -xaxis direction) along the guideline 360 so that the flexible display 310may slide in or slide out while being seamlessly connected to the sidesurface (e.g., the third edge portion 220 b in FIGS. 2A and 2B) of thesecond housing 370.

According to an embodiment, when the bendable section (e.g., thebendable section {circle around (2)} in FIG. 2B) of the flexible display310 moves, the second housing 370 may move together with the flexibledisplay 310, thereby forming the exterior of the electronic device 300.

According to an embodiment, the first housing 380 may be coupled to thefront case 330, provide a space for the electronic components (e.g., theprinted circuit board, the battery, the sensor module, the sound module,or the camera module) disposed inside the electronic device 300, andform at least a portion of the exterior of the electronic device 300.

According to an embodiment, the back cover 390 (e.g., back glass) may becoupled to at least a portion of the first housing 380, and may be theexternal case of the electronic device 300. The back cover 390 may beformed of polymer, coated or tinted glass, ceramic, metal (e.g.,aluminum, stainless steel (STS), or magnesium), or a combination of atleast two thereof.

FIG. 4A is a view illustrating a front surface (e.g., a surface on whicha screen is displayed) of an electronic device 300 in a first state(e.g., a closed state) according to an embodiment of the disclosure.FIG. 4B is a view illustrating a front surface (e.g., a surface on whicha screen is displayed) of an electronic device 300 in a second stateaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 4C is a viewillustrating a rear surface of an electronic device 300 in a first stateaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 4D is across-sectional view of an electronic device according to an embodimentof the disclosure. FIG. 5A is a view illustrating the configuration of asliding module 500 of an electronic device 300 according to anembodiment of the disclosure. FIG. 5B is a view illustrating a bendablemember of an electronic device according to an embodiment of thedisclosure.

The electronic device 300 in FIGS. 4A to 4D may be at least partiallysimilar to the electronic device 101 in FIG. 1 or the electronic device200 in FIGS. 2A and 2B, or may further include other embodiments of theelectronic device.

According to an embodiment, FIG. 4D is a cross-sectional perspectiveview of the electronic device 300 taken along the line A1-A2 in FIG. 4A.

Referring to FIGS. 4A to 4D, 5A, and 5B, a slide module 500 of theelectronic device 300 according to an embodiment of the disclosure mayinclude a bendable member 320 supporting at least a portion of aflexible display 310 (e.g., the flexible display 230 in FIG. 2A), asliding frame 340 (e.g., the first housing), a driving body 350, a guiderail 360, and a second housing 370. A screen (e.g., the screen 2301 inFIGS. 2A and 2B) of the flexible display 310 may be expanded andcontracted by the slide module 500.

The bendable member 320 may include a plurality of guide bars 322rotatably connected to each other. According to an embodiment, thebendable member 320 may include an upper surface 320 a formed through aplurality of guide bars 322 and a rear surface 320 b (e.g., a rearsurface) facing in the direction opposite the upper surface 320 a (e.g.,a front surface). According to an embodiment, the upper surface 320 amay face the flexible display 310, and the rear surface 320 b may facethe inner space of the electronic device 200 (e.g., the second housing220).

According to an embodiment, the plurality of guide bars 322 may beformed of a metal material and/or polymer. Each of the plurality ofguide bars 322 may include the guide protrusions 324 that protrudingfrom both ends thereof to be guided along the guide rail 360 in theinner space of the electronic device 300.

According to an embodiment, some or all of the plurality of guide bars322 may include a friction reducing area (e.g., at least one of apolyoxymethylene (POM) layer, an acetal layer, or a Teflon layer) toreduce friction. For example, the friction reducing area may be includedin the area in which contact (or friction) of at least one guide baramong the plurality of guide bars 322 occurs. For example, the frictionreducing area may be included as a layer (e.g., a coating layer) in thearea in contact with at least a portion of the slide plate 342, thesliding bar 344, the roller 400, and/or the driving body 350.Accordingly, frictional resistance with a corresponding structure (e.g.,the slide plate 342, the sliding bar 344, the roller 400, and/or thedriving body 350) according to the sliding operation of the bendablemember 320 may be reduced.

The sliding frame 340 may be coupled to the second housing 370 thatmoves a specified reciprocating distance from the first housing 380 (orthe front case 330). At least a portion of the flexible display 310 maybe attached to the bendable member 320 and may be supported by at leasta portion of the bendable member 320. The bendable member 370 may besupported by the front case 330 and/or the sliding frame 340.

As an example, when the electronic device 300 is in the open state(e.g., the first state), one area (e.g., the area corresponding to thefirst housing 380 or the fixed area 314) of the bendable member 320 maybe supported by the front case 330. In addition, another area (e.g., thearea corresponding to the second housing 370 or the extension area 312)may be supported by the sliding frame 340. Accordingly, the fixed area314 of the flexible display 310 supported by the bendable member 320 mayform a flat surface by the front surface (e.g., the surface facing theflexible display 310) of the front case 330. In addition, a portion ofthe extension area 312 of the flexible display 310 may form a flatsurface by the flat area (e.g., the slide plate 342 in FIG. 3) of thesliding frame 340, and another portion may form a curved surface by thecurved area (e.g., the sliding bar 344 in FIG. 3) of the sliding frame340.

For example, in the closed state (e.g., the first state) of theelectronic device 300, at least a portion of the bendable member 320 maybe accommodated in the second housing 370. The bendable member 320 mayslide in the space between the sliding frame 340 and the second housing370 while being supported by the sliding bar (e.g., the sliding bar 344in FIG. 3) of the electronic device 300. In this case, at least apartial area of the bendable member 320 may come into contact with thedriving body 350.

For example, when switching from the open state to the closed state orswitching from the closed state to the open state, the bendable member320 may have friction with the slide plate 342, the sliding bar 344,and/or the driving body 350 due to contact with at least a portionthereof. The electronic device 300 according to an embodiment of thedisclosure may reduce friction due to contact with at least a portion ofthe slide plate 342, the sliding bar 344, and/or the driving body 350.

In an embodiment, although not shown, the area of the bendable member320 substantially corresponding to the fixed area 314 may be formed of aplate (e.g., a support plate). At least a portion (e.g., the bendablesection {circle around (2)} in FIG. 2B) of the flexible display 310 maybe accommodated in the inner space of the second housing 370 while beingsupported by the bendable member 320 (or by the bendable member 320) inthe closed state to then be disposed to be invisible to the outside.

According to an embodiment, at least a portion (e.g., the bendablesection {circle around (2)}) of the flexible display 310 may be disposedto be visible to the outside while being supported by the bendablemember 320 in the open state.

According to an embodiment, the electronic device 300 may include afront surface 300 a on which a screen of the display 310 is displayed, arear surface 300 b facing in the direction opposite the front surface300 a, and a side surface 300 c surrounding the space between the frontsurface 300 a and the rear surface 300 b.

According to an embodiment, the areas of the front surface 300 a and therear surface 300 b of the electronic device 300 may vary depending onthe state of the electronic device 300 (e.g., the open state or theclosed state). For example, when the electronic device 300 is in theopen state (e.g., the open state in FIG. 2B), the bendable section{circle around (2)} of the flexible display 310 may slide out so thatthe area of the front surface 300 a of the electronic device 300 mayincrease. For example, when the electronic device 300 is in the closedstate (e.g., the closed state in FIG. 2A), the area of the rear surfaceof the electronic device 300 may include the area of the rear cover 390.In addition, when the electronic device 300 is in the open state, thearea of the rear surface of the electronic device 300 may include thearea substantially corresponding to the bendable area {circle around(2)} among the area of the rear cover 390 and the rear surface of thesecond housing 370.

According to an embodiment, the flexible display 310 may include a fixedarea 314 (e.g., the fixed section {circle around (1)} in FIG. 2B) alwaysvisible to the outside and an extension area 312 (e.g., the bendablesection {circle around (2)} in FIG. 2B) that extends from the fixed area314 and slides in the second housing 370 or slides out of the sameaccording to movement of second housing 370.

According to an embodiment, the extension area 312 (e.g., the secondarea) (e.g., the bendable section {circle around (2)} in FIG. 2B) of theflexible display 310 may be extended along the first direction (e.g.,the -x axis direction) while being supported by the bendable member 320in the open state. In this case, at least a portion of the fixed area314 (e.g., the first area) (e.g., the fixed section {circle around (1)}in FIG. 2B) and the extension area 312 (e.g., the second area) (e.g.,the bendable section {circle around (2)} in FIG. 2B) may formsubstantially the same plane.

In the electronic device 300, as the second housing 370 and the slidingframe 340 slide in a first direction (e.g., the -x axis direction) or ina second direction (e.g., the x axis direction) opposite the firstdirection (e.g., the -x axis direction), the size (or area) of thedisplay area (e.g., the screen 2301 in FIGS. 2A and 2B) of the flexibledisplay 310 may vary.

According to an embodiment, an operation of expanding the screen (e.g.,sliding-out) and/or contracting the screen (e.g., sliding-in) of theelectronic device 300 may be manually performed through a user'smanipulation.

According to an embodiment, an operation of expanding the screen (e.g.,sliding-out) and/or contracting the screen (e.g., sliding-in) of theelectronic device 300 may be performed automatically orsemi-automatically using a driving device (e.g., a motor, a ball screw,a cam, a slider crank, or a hinge).

FIG. 6 is a view illustrating a sliding frame module 600 of anelectronic device according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIGS. 7and 8 are views showing that a driving body 350 is coupled to a slidingframe 340 and that a roller 400 is coupled to a sliding bar 344according to various embodiments of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 6 to 8, a sliding frame module 600 may include asliding frame 340, a driving body 350, and a roller 400.

A first driving bar 352 (e.g., the first driving bar 352 in FIG. 11) maybe self-rotatably coupled to the sliding frame 340 (e.g., the secondhousing), and a second driving bar 354 (e.g., the second driving bar 354in FIG. 11) may be self-rotatably coupled to the front case 330 (e.g.,the first housing) so that the driving body 350 may be folded orunfolded. The first driving bar 352 and the second driving bar 354 maybe pivotally connected by a driving shaft 356. For example, the drivingbody 350 may be folded about the driving shaft 356 such that the firstdriving bar 352 and the driving bar 354 come into contact with eachother or are unfolded to open at a specified angle.

The first driving bar 352 and the second driving bar 354 may have thesame shape or different shapes from each other, and it should be notedthat the driving bar coupled to the sliding frame 340 will be referredto as a first driving bar 352 and that the driving bar coupled to thefront case 330 will be referred to as a second driving bar 354 below,regardless of the disposed direction and shape of the driving body 350.

A plurality of guide slits 346 may include a plurality of first guideslits 346 a having a predetermined curvature and a plurality of secondguide slits 346 b having a linear shape. The plurality of first guideslits 346 a and the plurality of second guide slits 346 b may bealternately disposed. In some embodiments, the plurality of first guideslits 346 a and the plurality of second guide slits 346 b may beirregularly disposed. The plurality of first guide slits 346 a may havethe same shape or different shapes from each other. For example, theplurality of first guide slits 346 a may be formed to have the sameshape, for example, to have a curve having the same direction andcircumferential angle, but in this case, pressure may be applied to thesliding frame 340 in one direction, thereby causing distortion ordeformation of the sliding frame 340. In order to prevent distortion anddeformation of the sliding frame 340, the plurality of first guide slits346 a may be formed to be symmetrical with each other, based on thecenter line 340 a (e.g., the center line 340 a in FIG. 11) of thesliding frame 340. For example, at least one first guide slit 346 aformed on a first side (e.g., the y axis direction) of the center line340 a and at least one first guide slit 346 a formed on a second sidethereof (e.g., the -y axis direction) may be disposed. At least onefirst guide slit 346 a formed on the first side (e.g., the y axisdirection) and at least one first guide slit 346 a formed on the secondside (e.g., the -y axis direction) may be formed to have a shapesymmetrical with each other based on the center line 340 a. For example,at least one first guide slit 346 a formed on the first side of thecenter line 340 a may be formed to have a predetermined curvature in afirst direction, and at least one first guide slit 346 a formed on thesecond side thereof may be formed to have a predetermined curvature in asecond direction opposite the first direction.

The plurality of first guide slits 346 a may include the same number ofat least one first guide slit 356 a on both sides of the center line 340a.

The plurality of second guide slits 346 b may have a linear shape. Eachof the second guide slits 356 b may form an opening directed to thefront case 330 on the slide plate 342. A first link portion 352 a and asecond link portion 354 a of the driving body 350 may be disposed in thesecond guide slit 356 b to move linearly, and the second link portion354 a may be coupled to the front case 330 through the opening. Theplurality of second guide slits 356 b may include the same number of atleast one second guide slit 356 b on both sides of the center line 340a.

The plurality of driving bodies 350 may be disposed in the samedirection, but in this case, distortion and/or deformation of thesliding frame 340 may occur as described above. To prevent this, theplurality of driving bodies 350 may be disposed to be symmetrical witheach other based on the center line 340 a of the sliding frame 340(e.g., the center line 340 a in FIG. 11). For example, the drivingbodies 350 on the first side of the center line 340 a and the drivingbodies 350 on the second side thereof may be disposed to be folded orunfolded in a symmetrical form.

A plurality of roller holes 348 may be formed at regular intervals inthe sliding bar 344. The roller hole 348 may have a predetermined widthin order for the roller 400 to be inserted thereinto. Rollers 400corresponding to the number of roller holes 348 may be coupled to thesliding bar 344. For example, a corresponding number of rollers 400 maybe disposed on both sides of the center line 340 a. For example, in thecase of including an odd number of rollers 400, one roller 400corresponding to the position of the center line 340 a may be located atthe center of the sliding bar 344, and an equal number of remainingrollers 400 may be located on both sides of the center line 340 a.

In an embodiment, the roller 400 may have a shape corresponding to theshape of the roller hole 348. For example, the width of the roller 400may correspond to the width of the roller hole 348, or may be smallerthan the width of the roller hole 348 by a predetermined value (e.g.,0.5 mm). For example, the roller 400 may have a diameter correspondingto the sliding bar 344. For example, when the roller 400 is coupled tothe sliding bar 344 through the roller hole 348, the roller 400 may notsubstantially protrude or be recessed. For example, when the roller 400is coupled to the sliding bar 344 through the roller hole 348, at leasta portion (e.g., 0.1 to 0.2 mm) of the roller 400 may protrude.Accordingly, when the bendable member 320 moves on the sliding bar 344,the bendable member may come into contact with the sliding bar 344 andthe roller 400, thereby producing frictional resistance. This frictionalresistance may be reduced by the rotational force of the roller. In someembodiments, in the case where a relatively large number of rollers 400are rotatably disposed in the sliding bar 344 and protrude above theouter surface of the sliding bar 344, the bendable member 320 may comeinto contact with only a plurality of rollers 400, which may furtherreduce the frictional resistance. In some embodiments, the roller 400may have only a single roller that has a length similar to that of thesliding bar 344 and is rotatably fixed to the sliding bar.

FIG. 9 is a view illustrating a first guide slit 346 a formed in asliding frame and a driving body 350 coupled to the first guide slit 346a according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIGS. 10A and 10B areviews showing that a roller 400 is coupled to a sliding bar 344according to various embodiments of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 9, 10A, and 10B, driving shafts 356 of a plurality ofdriving bodies 350 may be inserted and coupled to a plurality of firstguide slits 346 a of the sliding frame 340. The driving body 350 mayinclude a link 355 for convenience of assembly when a driving shaft 356is inserted into the first guide slit 346 a. When the driving shaft 356is coupled to the first guide slit 346 a, at least a portion of thedriving shaft 356 may move along the first guide slit 346 a. Forexample, when a first driving bar (e.g., the first driving bar 352 inFIGS. 11 and 12A) and a second driving bar (e.g., the second driving bar354 in FIGS. 11 and 12A) of the driving body 350 are folded to come intocontact with each other or unfolded to be spaced apart from each other,a first link portion 352 a and a second link portion 354 b mayreciprocate in the second guide slit 346 b to move away from or close toeach other. Accordingly, the driving shaft 356 may move in a curve alongthe first guide slit 346 a according to the positions of the first linkportion 352 a and the second link portion 354 a.

A plurality of roller holes 348 may be formed at regular intervals inthe sliding bar 344. The roller hole 348 may be formed to have apredetermined width in order for the roller 400 to be insertedthereinto.

In an embodiment, the roller 400 may include a roller body 402 and aroller shaft 404. A through-hole 406 passing through the roller body maybe formed in the center of the roller body 402, and the roller shaft 404may be fitted into the through-hole 406 so that the roller body 402 mayrotate. Alternatively, it will be readily understood by those skilled inthe art that the roller 400 may be formed by injecting the roller body402 and the roller shaft 404 into a single component. The roller 400 maybe fitted into each roller hole 348, and the roller shaft 404 may befitted into a roller shaft hole 348 a formed in the sliding bar 344 sothat the roller 400 may be rotatably mounted or coupled to the slidingbar 344. It is possible to reduce friction produced in the bendablemember 320 by the rotation of the roller 400 mounted or coupled to thesliding bar 344. For example, the roller body 402 may protrude above thesliding bar 344 such that the bendable member 320 and the roller body402 come into contact with each other, so that the bendable member 320may move by the rotation of the roller 400, thereby reducing frictionalresistance produced in the bendable member 320. As another example, inthe case where friction occurs between the bendable member 320 and thesliding bar 344 because the outer surface of the sliding bar 344 isformed lower than the roller body 402, rotational movement of the roller400 may reduce the friction between the bendable member 320 and thesliding bar 344.

FIG. 11 is a view showing that a driving body 350 coupled to a slidingframe 340 is unfolded to move the sliding frame 340 according to anembodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 11, a plurality of driving bodies 350 operates to beunfolded (e.g., sliding-out) (e.g., open state driving), thereby pushingthe sliding bar 344 in a first direction (e.g., the -x axis direction)to guide the sliding frame 340 in the slide-out direction (e.g., the -xaxis direction). Accordingly, the second housing 370 to which thesliding frame 340 is coupled may move in the first direction (e.g., the-x axis direction) together with the sliding frame 340, and an extensionarea (e.g., the extension area 312 in FIG. 5A) of the flexible display310 may slide out of the second housing 370 to be visible to theoutside.

As an embodiment, the driving body 350 operates to be folded (e.g.,sliding-in) (e.g., closed state driving), thereby moving the sliding bar344 in a second direction (e.g., the x axis direction) opposite thefirst direction (e.g., -x axis direction) to guide the sliding frame 340in the slide-in direction. Accordingly, the second housing 370 coupledto the sliding frame 340 may move together with the sliding frame 340,and the extension area (e.g., the extension area 312 in FIG. 5A) of theflexible display 310 may slide in the second housing 370 to be invisibleto the outside. For example, the electronic device 300 may switch fromthe closed state to the open state or from the open state to the closedstate by automatically or semi-automatically pushing or pulling thesliding bar 344 using a driving force of the motor.

The plurality of driving bodies 350 may prevent the flexible display 310from sagging by supporting the bendable member 320 during operation.

The sliding bar 344 of the sliding frame 340 may come into contact witha bent portion of the bendable member 320 in a curved portion (e.g., thecurved portion 300 d in FIG. 4D). For example, when the bendable member320 moves, friction may occur between the guide bars 322 in contact withthe curved portion of the sliding bar 344, among the plurality of guidebars 322 included in the bendable member 320, and the bendable member320. The sliding bar 344 may be formed of a metal material and/orpolymer. According to an embodiment, in order to reduce friction againstthe bendable member 320, the sliding bar 344 may be formed of a materialthat reduces friction, or may further include a layer (e.g., aTeflon-coated layer or a hard coated layer) for reducing friction. Insome embodiments, the layer for reducing friction may be disposed on thesurface in contact with the sliding bar 344 of the bendable member 320.

FIG. 12A is a diagram illustrating a driving body 350 of an electronicdevice according to an embodiment of the disclosure. FIGS. 12B to 12Fare views illustrating a coupling structure between a sliding frame 340and a driving body 350 and a coupling structure between a driving body350 and a front case 330 according to various embodiments of thedisclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 12A to 12F, the driving body 350 may include a firstdriving bar 352 rotatably coupled to the sliding frame 340, a seconddriving bar 354 rotatably coupled to the front case 330, and an elasticmember 358 for pressing the first driving bar 352 and the second drivingbar 354 in the direction in which they are unfolded. The first drivingbar 352 and the second driving bar 354 may be rotatably coupled througha driving shaft 356.

According to an embodiment, the driving body 350 and the sliding bar 344may be rotatably coupled through a first coupling pin 357. The drivingbody 350 and the front case 330 may be rotatably coupled through asecond coupling pin 359. For example, the first driving bar 352 and thedriving shaft 356 may be integrally formed. For example, the seconddriving bar 354 and the driving shaft 356 may be integrally formed. Forexample, the driving shaft 356 may be formed as a separate configurationfrom the first driving bar 352 and the second driving bar 354.

According to an embodiment, when the electronic device 300 is in theopen state, the first driving bar 352 and the second driving bar 354 maybe unfolded at a predetermined angle (e.g., the angle θ in FIG. 12A). Inthe open state, the sliding bar 344 may extend from the front case 330in the first direction (e.g., the -X axis direction).

According to an embodiment, when the electronic device 300 is in theclosed state, the first driving bar 352 and the second driving bar 354may be disposed to be adjacent to or come into at least partial contactwith the sliding bar 344 of the sliding frame 340. For example, when theelectronic device 300 switches from the open state to the closed state,the sliding bar 344 may move in the second direction (e.g., the X axisdirection) to be disposed adjacent to the front case 330. For example,the driving body 350 may be formed to have a predetermined length, and afirst link portion 352 a for a connection with the sliding bar 344 maybe formed at the end of the first driving bar 352, and a second linkportion 354 a for a connection with the front case 330 may be formed atthe end of the second driving bar 354. For example, a first coupling pin357 may be inserted into the first link portion 352 a of the firstdriving bar 352 and the sliding bar 344 so that the first driving bar352 may be rotatably coupled to the sliding bar 344. For example, asecond coupling pin 359 may be inserted into the second link portion 354a of the second driving bar 354 and the front case 330 so that thesecond driving bar 354 may be rotatably coupled to the front case 330.

According to an embodiment, the predetermined angle θ may be determinedwithin a range of less than 180 degrees in order to induce an effectivefolding operation of the first driving bar 352 and the second drivingbar 354.

According to an embodiment, the first driving bar 352 and the seconddriving bar 354 may be formed of a metal material and/or polymer.

According to an embodiment, the first driving bar 352 and/or the seconddriving bar 354 may include a friction reducing member or a frictionreducing layer disposed on the portion in contact with the bendablemember 320.

According to an embodiment, the elastic member 358 may be a torsionspring, and may be received inside a first spring receiving groove 352 bformed in the first driving bar 352 and a second spring receiving groove354 b formed in the second driving bar 354. The elastic member 358 maybe disposed so as not to protrude to the outside, and may provide anelastic force such that the first driving bar 352 and the second drivingbar 354 may be unfolded.

FIG. 13 is a view illustrating the state in which a roller 400 isdisposed in an electronic device 300 according to an embodiment of thedisclosure. FIG. 14 shows that friction is reduced by a roller 400 whenthe electronic device 300 is in a closed state (e.g., a first state)(e.g., a screen contraction state) (e.g., rolling-in or sliding-in) andan open state (e.g., a second state) (e.g., a screen expansion state)(e.g., rolling-out or sliding-out) according to an embodiment of thedisclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 13 and 14, when the flexible display 310 of theelectronic device 300 moves, friction may occur in the bendable member320 supporting the flexible display 310. For example, when expanding orcontracting a screen (e.g., the screen 2301 in FIGS. 2A and 2B) of theflexible display 310, friction may occur between the bendable member 320and the slide plate 342, between the bendable member 320 and the slidingbar 344, and/or between the bendable member 320 and the driving body350. Accordingly, in order to reduce the friction, at least a portion ofthe bendable member 320, the slide plate 342, the sliding bar 344,and/or the driving body 350 may use a friction reducing material orinclude a friction reducing layer. Alternatively, a component forreducing friction (e.g., the roller 400) or a friction reducing membermay be further disposed.

FIGS. 15 and 16 are views showing that a closed state (e.g., a firststate) is maintained by a locking device according to variousembodiments of the disclosure. FIG. 17 is a view showing switching to anopen state (e.g., a second state) by releasing a locking deviceaccording to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIGS. 15 to 17, according to an embodiment, the electronicdevice 300 may include a locking device 382 and a locking jaw 372 thatprevents the driving body (e.g., the driving body 350 in FIG. 3) frombeing unfolded by an elastic body (e.g., the elastic member 358 in FIG.12A) and maintains the electronic device 300 in the closed state.

The locking device 382 may be disposed on the rear surface (e.g., thesurface opposite the surface on which the flexible display 310 isdisposed) of the first housing 380 in order to provide a fastening force(or fixing force) against the elastic force of the elastic member 358.The locking jaw 372 may be formed on the rear surface of the secondhousing 370 so as to be caught on the locking device 382. When thelocking device 382 is caught on the locking jaw 372, switching of thestate by the elastic force of the elastic member (e.g., the elasticmember 358 in FIGS. 12A and 12B) may be suppressed.

In the closed state of the electronic device 300, the locking device 382may be caught on the locking jaw 372 to provide a fastening force (orfixing force) against the elastic force of the elastic member (e.g., theelastic member 358 in FIGS. 12A and 12B), thereby maintaining theelectronic device 300 in the closed state. At this time, the firstdriving bar 352 and the second driving bar 354 of the driving body(e.g., the driving body 350 in FIGS. 12A and 12B) may remain in thefolded state.

In the open state of the electronic device 300, when the locking device382 is released (separated) from the locking jaw 372, the first drivingbar 352 and the second driving bar 354 of the driving body 350 may beunfolded at a predetermined angle by the elastic force of the elasticmember (e.g., the elastic member 358 in FIGS. 12A and 12B). Theelectronic device 300 may consistently remain in the open state (e.g.,the second state) by the elastic force of the elastic member (e.g., theelastic member 358 in FIGS. 12A and 12B).

In an embodiment, the electronic device 300 may include an open button384 connected to the locking device 382. When the user presses the openbutton 384 in the closed state of the electronic device 300, the lockingdevice 382 may be released from the locking jaw 372 so that theelectronic device 300 may switch to the open state by the elastic forceprovided by the elastic member 358.

In an embodiment, although not shown, the electronic device 300 mayswitch to the open state automatically or semi-automatically through adriving mechanism (e.g., a driving motor, a reducer module, and/or agear assembly) disposed inside the electronic device 300. Alternatively,the electronic device 300 may switch the state manually by a force topush or pull the housing, which is provided by the user, and the methodof opening/closing the electronic device 300 is not limited.

In an embodiment, the electronic device 300 may detect, through aprocessor (e.g., the processor 120 in FIG. 1), an event informing ofswitching to the closed state (e.g., the first state) or the open state(e.g., the second state) of the electronic device 300. For example, theprocessor 120 may detect the open state (e.g., the second state) or theclosed state (e.g., the first state) of the electronic device 300through at least one sensor (e.g., a hall sensor) included in the firsthousing 380 or the second housing 370 of the electronic device 300. Forexample, when an event notifying of switching to the open state (e.g.,the second state) or the closed state (e.g., the first state) occurs,the electronic device 300 may adjust the image to be displayed on theflexible display 310 to fit the screen size.

FIG. 18 is a view illustrating a roller 400 and a bendable member 320according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 18, the roller 400 of the electronic device 300 mayinclude a roller body (e.g., the body 402 in FIG. 10B) and a rollershaft (e.g., the roller shaft 404 in FIG. 10B). The roller body (e.g.,the body 420 in FIG. 10B) of the roller 400 may be formed of a materialthat produces low resistance or frictional force when rubbing againstother objects. For example, it will be readily understood by thoseskilled in the art that the material may be formed of, but not limitedto, one of rubber, a urethane material, or Teflon. For example, amaterial providing a smooth surface or having elasticity may beincluded. For example, the roller body (e.g., the body 420 in FIG. 10B)of the roller 400 may be formed of general PC injection or a metalmaterial.

FIG. 19 is a view illustrating a roller 400 and a bendable member 320according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 19, the roller 400 may include a roller body 405 of ametal material, a friction reducing member 407 disposed to surround theouter surface of the roller body 405, and a roller shaft 404. The rollerbody 405 may be formed of a metal material. The friction reducing member407 may be formed of a low friction rubber or Teflon tape.

FIG. 20 is a view illustrating the shape of a sliding bar according toan embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 20, the sliding bar 344 may include a protrusion 349extending in length from the end of the sliding bar 344 so as to overlapat least a portion of the upper and lower portions of the roller 400.For example, the protrusion 349 may be applied as an extension portionsupporting the flexible display 310 and/or the bendable member 320. Inan embodiment, the protrusion 349 may be disposed to overlap at least aportion of the roller 400 when the sliding frame 340 is viewed fromabove. In an embodiment, the roller 400 may be formed to have arelatively small size (e.g., a diameter) through a protrusion 349 of asliding bar 344 that extends near the roller 400 and is disposed to atleast partially surround the roller 400, so the small size may enableother components of the electronic device 300 to be disposed in aprovided space.

FIG. 21 is a view illustrating a buffer member 700 disposed between aroller 400 and a bendable member 320 according to an embodiment of thedisclosure.

Referring to FIG. 21, a buffer member 700 may be disposed between theroller 400 and the bendable member 320 to reduce friction between theroller 400 and the bendable member 320. The buffer member 700 may be inthe form of a thin film capable of being inserted between the roller 400and the bendable member 320, and may be formed of a rubber material or aTeflon tape. Since the roller 400 and the bendable member 320 do notcome into direct contact with each other by the buffer member 700,frictional resistance may be reduced.

FIG. 22 is a view showing that a bearing 800 is applied to a sliding bar344 according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 22, a plurality of bearings 800 may be disposed on theouter side of the sliding bar 344 in order to reduce friction producedwhen the sliding bar 344 and the bendable member 320 come into contactwith each other. The frictional force produced when the sliding bar 344and the bendable member 320 come into contact with each other may bereduced by the plurality of bearings 800, and the plurality of bearings800 may be separated from the sliding bar 344. In order to prevent theplurality of bearings 800 from being separated from the sliding bar 344,a buffer member 900 may be disposed to cover the plurality of bearings800.

As an embodiment, in order to reduce friction produced when the slidingbar 344 and the bendable member 320 come into contact with each other inthe curved portion 300 d of the electronic device 300, a plurality ofbearings 800 may be disposed on the sliding bar 344. The plurality ofbearings 800 may be disposed at regular intervals from the lower portionto the upper portion of the sliding bar 344 to correspond to the entirearea in which the sliding bar 344 and the bendable member 320 come intocontact with each other. Accordingly, friction during the movement ofthe sliding frame 340 may be reduced by the plurality of bearings 800disposed at regular intervals on the sliding bar 344. The buffer member900 may be disposed between the sliding bar 344 and the bendable member320. The buffer member 900 may be in the form of a thin film capable ofbeing inserted between the sliding bar 344 and the bendable member 320,and may be formed of a rubber material or a Teflon tape. The sliding bar344 and the bendable member 320 do not come into direct contact witheach other by the buffer member 900, thereby reducing friction. Inaddition, friction produced when the sliding bar 344 and the bendablemember 320 come into contact with each other may be reduced by thebuffer member 900.

FIG. 23 is a view showing that a friction reducing member 1000 isapplied to reduce friction between a driving shaft 356 and a slidingframe 340 according to an embodiment of the disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 23, the driving shaft 356 of the driving body 350 maybe inserted into the first guide slit 346 a of the sliding frame 340 tomove, and friction may occur in the portion where the sliding frame 340and the driving shaft 356 come into contact with each other.

In order to reduce friction in the portion where the sliding frame 340and the driving shaft 356 come into contact with each other when thescreen (e.g., the screen 2301 in FIGS. 2A and 2B) of the flexibledisplay (e.g., the flexible display 310 in FIG. 3) is expanded or whenthe screen is contracted, a friction reducing member 1000 may bedisposed between the first guide slit 346 a and the driving shaft 356.The friction reducing member 1000 may be formed of a rubber material ora Teflon tape to reduce friction. Alternatively, a friction reducinglayer may be formed on the first guide slit 356 a.

However, the disclosure is not limited thereto, and a plurality ofbearings may be disposed in the first guide slit 346 a of the slidingframe 340, thereby reducing friction in the portion where the guide slit346 and the driving shaft 356 come into contact with each other.

Although not shown, a friction reducing member may be disposed or afriction reducing layer may be included in the second guide slit (e.g.,the second guide slit 346 b in FIG. 7).

The electronic device according to various embodiments of the disclosuremay reduce friction between a sliding bar and a bendable member duringexpansion and contraction of a screen of a display, thereby reducingpower required for expansion and contraction of a screen of a flexibledisplay.

According to various embodiments, an electronic device (e.g., theelectronic device 300 in FIG. 3) may include a flexible display (e.g.,the flexible display 310 in FIG. 3) including a first area (e.g., thefirst section {circle around (1)} in FIG. 2B) disposed to be visible tothe outside and a second area (e.g., the second section {circle around(2)} in FIG. 2B) extending from the first area and disposed to beaccommodated inside the electronic device in a first state and to be atleast partially visible to the outside in a second state, a bendablemember (e.g., the bendable member 320 in FIG. 3) disposed on the rearsurface of the flexible display and configured to support the flexibledisplay in the first state and the second state, a case (e.g., the frontcase 330 in FIG. 3) configured to support at least a portion of theflexible display, a sliding frame (e.g., the sliding frame 340 in FIG.3) slidably coupled to the case and including a slide plate (e.g., theslide plate 342 in FIG. 3) having a plurality of first guide slits(e.g., a plurality of first guide slits 346 in FIG. 3) formed thereinand a sliding bar (e.g., the sliding bar 344 in FIG. 3) extending fromthe slide plate and coming into contact with the bendable member in thesecond state, and a plurality of driving bodies (e.g., a plurality ofdriving bodies 350 in FIG. 3) configured to enable sliding movement ofthe flexible display while switching from the first state to the secondstate.

According to various embodiments, a plurality of rollers rotatablydisposed at a predetermined interval on the sliding bar and configuredto reduce friction when the flexible display slides may be included.

According to various embodiments, the plurality of rollers may bedisposed between portions in which the plurality of driving bodies iscoupled to the sliding bar.

According to various embodiments, the plurality of rollers may bedisposed at a gap of 0.05 to 0.1 mm from the bendable member.

According to various embodiments, the sliding frame may include aprotrusion extending in length from an end of the sliding bar, and theprotrusion may be disposed to overlap at least a portion of theplurality of rollers when the sliding frame is viewed from above.

According to various embodiments, a buffer member disposed between theplurality of rollers and the bendable member may be included.

According to various embodiments, the buffer member may be formed of arubber material, a urethane material, or a Teflon material.

According to various embodiments, the plurality of rollers may be formedof a rubber material, a urethane material, or a Teflon material.

According to various embodiments, a first housing configured toaccommodate the case and including a locking device and a second housingconfigured to accommodate the sliding frame and including a locking jawdisposed at a position corresponding to the locking device in the firststate may be included, and the locking device may be caught on thelocking jaw, thereby maintaining the electronic device in the firststate.

According to various embodiments, the plurality of driving bodies mayinclude a first driving bar rotatably coupled to the sliding bar, asecond driving bar rotatably coupled to the case, a driving shaftconfigured to couple the first drive bar and the second drive bar to bemovable, and an elastic member configured to press the first driving barand the second driving bar to be unfolded at a predetermined angle withrespect to each other.

According to various embodiments, the plurality of driving bodies mayinclude a first link portion formed at an end of the first driving barfor a connection with the sliding bar and a second link portion formedat an end of the second driving bar for a connection with the case.

According to various embodiments, the guide slits on a first side of thecenter of the sliding frame, among the plurality of first guide slits,may be formed to have a predetermined curvature in a first direction,and the guide slits on a second side thereof may be formed to have apredetermined curvature in a second direction opposite the firstdirection.

According to various embodiments, the driving shafts of the plurality ofdriving bodies may be at least partially inserted into the plurality offirst guide slits and may move along curves of the plurality of firstguide slits.

According to various embodiments, the driving bodies on a first side ofthe center of the sliding frame and the driving bodies on a second sidethereof, among the plurality of driving bodies, may be disposed to befolded or unfolded in a symmetrical form with respect to each other.

According to various embodiments, friction reducing members disposedbetween the plurality of first guide slits and the driving shafts of theplurality of driving bodies may be included.

According to various embodiments, the friction reducing member may beformed of a rubber material, a urethane material, or a Teflon material.

According to various embodiments, the slide plate may include aplurality of second guide slits disposed between the plurality of firstguide slits, and the plurality of second guide slits may be formed in astraight line.

According to various embodiments, the first link portion and the secondlink portion may be at least partially inserted into the plurality ofsecond guide slits and may move along straight lines of the plurality ofsecond guide slits.

According to various embodiments, a plurality of bearings disposed onthe outer side of the sliding bar in order to reduce friction when thesliding bar and the bendable member come into contact with each otherand a buffer member disposed to cover the plurality of bearings may beincluded.

According to various embodiments, a plurality of bearings disposed inthe plurality of first guide slits in order to reduce friction againstthe driving shafts of the plurality of driving bodies may be included.

While the disclosure has been shown and described with reference tovarious embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled inthe art that various changes in form and details may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as definedby the appended claims and their equivalents.

1. An electronic device comprising: a flexible display comprising afirst area disposed to be visible to the outside and a second areaextending from the first area and disposed to be accommodated inside theelectronic device in a first state and to be at least partially visibleto the outside in a second state; a bendable member disposed on the rearsurface of the flexible display and configured to support the flexibledisplay in the first state and the second state; a case configured tosupport at least a portion of the flexible display; a sliding frameslidably coupled to the case and comprising a slide plate having aplurality of first guide slits formed therein and a sliding barextending from the slide plate and coming into contact with the bendablemember in the second state; and a plurality of driving bodies configuredto enable sliding movement of the flexible display while switching fromthe first state to the second state.
 2. The electronic device of claim1, comprising a plurality of rollers rotatably disposed at apredetermined interval on the sliding bar and configured to reducefriction when the flexible display slides between the first state andthe second state.
 3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein theplurality of rollers is disposed between portions in which the pluralityof driving bodies is coupled to the sliding bar.
 4. The electronicdevice of claim 2, wherein the plurality of rollers is disposed at a gapof 0.05 to 0.1 mm from the bendable member.
 5. The electronic device ofclaim 2, wherein the sliding frame comprises a protrusion extending inlength from an end of the sliding bar, and wherein the protrusion isdisposed to overlap at least a portion of the plurality of rollers whenthe sliding frame is viewed from above.
 6. The electronic device ofclaim 2, comprising a buffer member disposed between the plurality ofrollers and the bendable member.
 7. The electronic device of claim 6,wherein the buffer member is formed of a rubber material, a urethanematerial, or a Teflon material.
 8. The electronic device of claim 2,wherein the plurality of rollers is formed of at least one of a rubbermaterial, a urethane material, or a Teflon material.
 9. The electronicdevice of claim 1, comprising: a first housing configured to accommodatethe case and comprising a locking device; and a second housingconfigured to accommodate the sliding frame and comprising a locking jawdisposed at a position corresponding to the locking device in the firststate, wherein in a case that the locking device is caught on thelocking jaw the electronic device is maintained in the first state. 10.The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the plurality of drivingbodies comprises: a first driving bar rotatably coupled to the slidingbar, a second driving bar rotatably coupled to the case, a driving shaftconfigured to couple the first drive bar and the second drive bar to bemovable, and an elastic member configured to press the first driving barand the second driving bar to be unfolded at a predetermined angle withrespect to each other.
 11. The electronic device of claim 10, whereinthe plurality of driving bodies comprises a first link portion formed atan end of the first driving bar for a connection with the sliding bar,and a second link portion formed at an end of the second driving bar fora connection with the case.
 12. The electronic device of claim 11,wherein the guide slits on a first side of the center of the slidingframe, among the plurality of first guide slits, are formed to have apredetermined curvature in a first direction, and the guide slits on asecond side thereof are formed to have a predetermined curvature in asecond direction opposite the first direction.
 13. The electronic deviceof claim 12, wherein the driving shafts of the plurality of drivingbodies are at least partially inserted into the plurality of first guideslits and move along curves of the plurality of first guide slits. 14.The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the driving bodies on a firstside of the center of the sliding frame and the driving bodies on asecond side thereof, among the plurality of driving bodies, are disposedto be folded or unfolded in a symmetrical form with respect to eachother.
 15. The electronic device of claim 12, comprising frictionreducing members disposed between the plurality of first guide slits andthe driving shafts of the plurality of driving bodies.
 16. Theelectronic device of claim 15, wherein the friction reducing member isformed of a rubber material, a urethane material, or a Teflon material.17. The electronic device of claim 12, wherein the slide plate comprisesa plurality of second guide slits disposed between the plurality offirst guide slits, and wherein the plurality of second guide slits isformed in a straight line.
 18. The electronic device of claim 17,wherein the first link portion and the second link portion are at leastpartially inserted into the plurality of second guide slits and movealong straight lines of the plurality of second guide slits.
 19. Theelectronic device of claim 12, comprising a plurality of bearingsdisposed on the outer side of the sliding bar in order to reducefriction when the sliding bar and the bendable member come into contactwith each other, and a buffer member disposed to cover the plurality ofbearings.
 20. The electronic device of claim 12, comprising a pluralityof bearings disposed in the plurality of first guide slits in order toreduce friction against the driving shafts of the plurality of drivingbodies.